Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107118 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
I moved back to lean against the porch swing, but I kept hold of Ky’s hand. He smoked and finished his bourbon as the sun rose over the horizon. As the sky became a tapestry of oranges, reds and yellows, I released Ky’s hand and walked to the door. Just before I turned the doorknob, I looked at my brother, feeling like I understood him better. “Thank you. For letting me go home. For understanding that I need to.” I thought of Lilah, her sweet understanding nature. “And tell her, Ky. Tell Lilah how you’re feeling. Let her in. That woman is the strongest woman I know. She’ll be your rock, if you let her.”
Ky didn’t reply, but as I entered the kitchen I was sure I heard him say, “She already is.”
Depleted and drained from what Ky had said about my momma, I went back to bed to catch a couple more hours if I could. And when my head hit the pillow, it was to a silent prayer. A prayer that one day a man would love me as much as my brother loved Lilah. That I would feel that much for another person. Want him so badly that the mere thought of losing him brought me to tears. Because, even though love created wrecks of us all, it had to beat the barren wasteland that was utter loneliness.
Anything had to be better than that.
Chapter Four
Cowboy
I glanced over at Hush sitting beside me in the truck, staring out of the window. I tightened my grip on the wheel and shook my head. I’d known the fucker for years, and I still couldn’t believe how he refused to let anyone in but me. Since Ky had told us we were assigned to watch his baby sister, Hush had closed in on himself, as always. Fucking locked himself inside the head that was a damn fortress to breach. And I knew why, but the stubborn asshole was too proud to admit the truth.
I sighed, turning up the radio. But it took about two seconds for me to get bored. I was a loudmouth, I knew it, and the fucking deathly silence from my best friend was killing me. “You get the stuff I left out for you this morning?” I asked. I knew he had. I watched him pack it, just to be sure. I just wanted to fucking talk. Wanted my friend back to the way he was.
Hush’s shoulders tensed, but then he muttered, “Yeah.”
I sighed in defeat, laying my head back on the headrest. We were about five miles out from where Sia lived: a little ranch, in the middle of fucking nowhere. It reminded me of my childhood home. More rustic and less refined, but a ranch was a ranch.
“At least there’s a gas station close in case I need hard liquor during all this, hey, mon frère?”
Hush grunted, but he kept his head away from me. My fucking chest squeezed when I thought of his face this morning. My brother was dog tired. And I knew that shit wasn’t good for him. His face looked paler than normal, and his blue eyes were dull as fuck.
Set off a shit-ton of warning bells inside my head. He was thinking too much.
It was Sia.
All of this, the moping, the silence, was because of the beautiful bitch driving alone in the truck up ahead. Fuck, I could barely think of her without wanting to wrap my hand in her long hair and pull her to my fucking mouth. Tasting her tongue, her tits pressed up against my chest. I looked at Hush from the side of my eye and knew the brother did too. Since we’d met her at Ky’s wedding, I knew on the spot I liked the bitch. Her damn sassy mouth, the confidence that oozed from her every move.
Her ass wasn’t too bad either.
My lip flicked up in amusement as I thought back to yesterday and the VP’s little “talk” he had with me and Hush . . .
“Shut the fucking door behind you.” Ky stood at the front of church, arms folded. Styx stood on his right, his face like thunder too. Hush was tense as he trailed behind. He shut the door. I slumped down to my seat and threw my hands up behind my head. I made myself real fucking comfortable.
Hush pulled his chair out. I smirked at his ramrod back as he stared at Ky, waiting for our VP to speak.
I brought my lazy gaze back to Ky and had to fight back a grin at how his eyes narrowed on me. “VP,” I said. “You wanted to talk to us?”
“Damn fucking right I did.” Ky leaned his hands on the tabletop, palms flat. “Neither of you are gonna go near Sia except to protect her.” Ky got straight to the point. I felt Hush grow more tense. I didn’t lower my hands from my head. I’d known this was coming.